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Dropping the Sword
Dropping the Sword was a campaign that took place in 17DE. It followed the exploits of a group of adventures under the name of the Waterside Company who acted against the Cult of Tiamat in Schwarzmeer as a number of powerful forces began to coalesce in Etan. Dramatis Personae The Waterside Company For more on this, see here. * Tripp - Trippilarrin Cornelius Shortmen XV, a halfing wizard and student at the college of Telinor who is hurrying to complete his thesis. * Druza tes Volos - a human druid hailing from the northern tribes, he journeyed south at the behest of mysterious visions. * Luchtaine Ailgheasach - a half-elf bard from Farthrone come to Etan in search of deeds and song. * Az Realta - a half-dwarf mystic from Osana who abandoned her life as a sailor. * Charanko - a human monk hailing from Hoffendale who utilises a unique form of martial arts. * Borok Silverhilt - a half-orc fighter from Schwarzmeer and chef-turned-vigilante, he seeks the man who slew his family. * Madoc - a half-orc war cleric and operative of the Hallowed Assault. Allies * Yanus Markov - A cleric from Drenden and former member of the Cult of Tiamat, Yanus had rededicated himself to Elendei when the Waterside Company encountered him fighting the cult in Shi-Meer-Jan. * Jesse Phoenix '- A griffon knight celebrity dragon hunter, aided the Waterside Company and Gurdrak to demonstrate the effectiveness of a new weapon the former duke sought to distribute. * '''Darion Relthorne '- One of the Heroes of Greenest and veteran of the invasion of Vhir that sought to stop the Rise of Tiamat. The Lord Commander of the Hallowed Assault now seeks to restore his fallen order and bring the fight to the evil of the world. * 'Nin Okar Okarthel '- A Champion of Bahamut separated from his fellow chosen fragments of divinity. The silver kobold seeks asylum within the Hallowed Assault as he avoids the agents of the Dragon Queen. * 'Zelphyrous '- An air genasi monk following the call of the wind to test his strength against the champions of the gods. Story Beginning five months after Tiamat's arrival to the material plane, her cult has spread and infected countless towns and cities across Tolas. In southern Schwarzmeer, a group of vigilantes under the leadership of the folk hero Blackhand Byron strike out against the cult. Actions & Deeds/Assault on Pritchard's Catch Following a successful assault on a cult stronghold, six heroes who distinguished themselves during the attack are enlisted by Blackhand Byron to storm Pritchard's Catch, an abandoned federation storefront now housing cult members. Deals & Numbers/Incorporation Formally joining together into an official adventuring company, the group stakes out a cult casino den. Tripp and Luchtaine infiltrate the establishment, and earn some gold for their new company. Locks & Keys/Smoking Them Out After surviving an attack on the inn they were staying in, the group enacts their plan to take away one of the sources of the Dragon Cult's gold. Attacking the casino at night as a meeting was taking place, the group battle their way to the vault to plunder its wealth. Options & Threads/Playing it Safe Taking their spoils from the casino raid, the group discusses what they would like to do next, with allies and enemies still in the city, they retreat to the outskirts before making a plan with Harold. Resting in town, the group believes that they might have gotten away with it. Goodbye & Fairwinds The group bids goodbye to Druza and does battle on the waters of the Meer, seizing a strange vessel from its cult allied crew. Battling their way into the hold, the group takes the cultists captive and sets free an Acolyte of Allarcia. Trade & Faith Taking their new vessel to the city of Shi-Meer-Jan, the group offers to trade information with the Acolytes of Allarcia. Trading the captive cultists, the group receives valuable magical items as a reward. Books & Midnight Taking advantage of the Acolytes' offer to learn in their repositories, Tripp and Charanko study lost mysteries, as Az and Borok return to his home. Seeking to act quickly, the group scouts out the Temple devoted to Tiamat in the city before launching a raid upon it. Scars & Doors The group fights the Temple's defenders, searching it for artefacts and gold in the stronghold of the enemy. After fleeing from the Temple's rector, the group return to their boat to recuperate Fire & Rope After a meeting to discuss their direction, the group is called to help the exiled Duke Gurdrak, who is being targeted by the Cult of the Dragon for assassination. Traveling to the old Duke's former lair, the group battles the denizens and creatures that lurk in the shadows and flames. Negotiations & Bridges Departing the lair of Gurdrak, the group is ambushed by the Beastmaster and his monstrous bat and gorilla allies, doing battle on a bridge as the their employer lay dying nearby. Reaching the ailing dragon, the Acolytes of Allarcia demand that Gurdrak be handed over to them, with the group stuck between them and their quarry. Errands & Water After some bookkeeping, the group undertakes a number of vital tasks for Gurdrak to allow him to commune with his fellows in the Unbidden. After taking stock of their supplies, the group learns from ancient dragon that both the Acolytes and the Cult seek an artefact within the Meer, establishing a formal contract with the group to retrieve it before them, or to wrest it from their grasp if they do. Murk & Stars After searching the Reliable, the group prepared for their expedition into the spire of Shi-Meer-Jan, delving deep into the ancient city where no light has touched for generations. They find evidence that the cult has been there already, and had encountered wards and guardians still lurking in the inky waters. Following after their quarry, the group uncovers many of the dark secrets of the spire. Hope & Darkness Still within the dark waters of Shi-Meer-Jan, the group encounter a new ally who opposes the cult. Looking to deal with Gilnius once and for all, the group is presented with a puzzle that stumps the best of them. Passing through another seal the group and their new companion come face to face with a dread nightmare abomination that threatens to engulf them in shadow and death. Vengeance & Honour The group ascends from the depths of the partially sunken city to recuperate from their ordeals below. After learning that his quarry, the Scarred Man, was working with a dredging company back in Schwarzmeer, Borok confronts the man whose actions had affected his life so much. War & Answers The group interrogates the Viscount and learn of an attack planned by Byron to break the cult once and for all at their Temple. Rallying together the group assaults the Temple once more, uniting with Madoc, a half-orc cleric of the Platinum Dragon to defeat the cult in Schwarzmeer once and for all. Gurdrak brings grave news and begins to prepare a plan, as the group takes some time to prepare for his return. Stone & Sorcery Tripp and Charanko join with Madoc on his mission to stop the cult activity at a tower on the outskirts of town. Finding a group of researchers unaware that their patrons had been killed, the small group continue to work on the project they were assigned months ago. Mist & Barter After a worrying dream, Tripp charts a course for the Rimecost in the night, bringing the rest of the company with him. Encountering the strange esoteric qualities of the Meer, the group seek to uncover the mysteries of the lake and the secrets its former denizens left behind Hunger & Labour After an attack by corrupted fey and merfolk, the group's boat is damaged and must return to the town of Adella for repairs. There they must stand between the starving survivors of a lost village and the strange folk of the town, against a threat that seeks to devour them all. Whiskey & Teeth After a brief negotiation, the group secures the safe passage of the survivors of the village of Vorost to Djura, taking them with them on their boat. Reaching the town the group finds the people they have sought, learning of a fane that is linked to the corruption of the land. Ink & Poison After overcoming the were-sharks the group made their way into the grounds of the fane, deciding to attack a side entrance. After defeating the guardians on the lower floor the group, retreated to a room to recover, though Madoc was afflicted with the terrible agony as he drank some of the group's healing potions. They ascended to the stairs and encountered the cultists, who took them to their leader, with Tripp seeing him as a deceiver and attacked him once he refused to answer his questions. Scrolls & Cages Entering the fane beneath the Scriverner's Manse, the group comes face to face with an ancient power from the Dawn War. After loyalties are tested, the group make their escape to their boat through the town of Djura, where their actions have caused unrest, perhaps dooming the land they sought to save. Cronies & Confidence Returning to Schwarzmeer, the group meets with Gurdrak who has developed powerful magical items that he wishes to spread to the armies of the Noble Alliance. However, he requires the assistance of the local Dredger's Federation to effectively distribute the arms and armour, so he enlists the help of the Waterside Company to convince them of the weapons' effectiveness. Rain & Observations Setting of to find this dragon and it's cohort, the group and their Federation observers reach Bluestem Fortress doing battle with the defenders of the keep atop the hill. The group weigh their options as the dragon slowly draws closer and closer. Treasure & Handshakes As the body of Oxylus the Black Dragon rises to fight the group, the Waterside company must overcome a chosen vessel of the Dragon Queen's power as the acidic rain lashes down around them. Finding the hoard of this cruel beast, the group must once again bid farewell to one of their members and return to Schwarzmeer to see the fruits of their labours. Days & Memories Taking some time to rest and spend their hard earned gold in the town of Scwarzmeer, as well as waiting for the meeting with Gurdrak and the representatives of the Federation. With everyone dealing with the various loose ends they have left behind before their adventures in the Rimecost and against the dragon Oxylus, the group then sets out to make contact with a Lord of the Kaima family, hoping to get an in with the vampires of Stovakor to find the lost exarch. Judgement & Blood Encountering the Inevitable Marut, the group interrogated it as to its motivations, learning that it was indeed a servant of Moradin and sought to capture the vampire lord for breaching a contract he had made with someone known as the Grey Lady. ''Speaking to the construct led some within the group to see it as a far more valuable ally than Lord Kaima, eventually forcing a vote on the issue, and another path is chosen. Springs & Guns Traversing the coast of the Rimecost, the crew spot a ship in distress, aiding the sailors and fighting off the sea monsters that sought the cargo within. The vessel's cargo becomes a matter of contention for the Company, and the morality of the group is questioned. Roads & Frost Departing Menrek and the city of Galbaraz, the group travel north into Hoffendale towards Sang, on the way meeting a member of the Champions of Bahamut, who joins them as they journey towards Stovakor. On the way they encounter a group of Blackwater Blades fighting the Cult of the Dragon and their fiendish allies, together they fight this foe and reach the city of Sang where all is not well in the city of the Lord Protector. Bubbles & Mothers Arriving in Sang City, the group are shown around the town by Tripp's mother Rosa the Finder where Darion's suspicions grow as he encounters further signs of demonic influence in the city. After conversing with the Order of the Bladed Scholar and a representative of the Blue Ring, the group come face to face with the Lord Protector of Sang, Edric Tane, and they learn that the influence of the fiends could reach further than they thought. Stakes & Shadows Descending into the dungeon below the Temple of the Trinity, the group fights fiends and enthralled monsters that stand between them and the true mastermind behind this recent uprising of demons. The group is once again divided by an offer made by a vampire, and a group of adventurers whose loyalties might not lie with the city of Sang. Bindings & Boons After interrogating the blackguard and some kua-toa that had tried to ambush them, the group recovers as they prepare to find Din, the warlock in the Temple Below. Fighting the demon Maralith and her fish men thralls, the group comes close to losing everything as they fight for the city of Sang. Doubts & Circles Retrieving the stolen rod from the dread waters below the city of Sang, the group carry an injured Tripp back to the fort above. After recovering from the encounter with another eldritch creature, the group began to prepare for their journey into the Warring Woods, but fears of the motivations of their employer casts a shadow over their efforts. Duels & Demons Returning to Menrek after a visit to Telinor, Madoc, Nin, and Tripp find that something is not quite right at the boat and begin an investigation. Following the trail of mysterious figures on the edge of town, they uncover a plot against them by some old adversaries. Flesh & Wine The group leave Menrek after striking their deals with their former enemies. Traveling through the Warring Woods with the aid of the fey, the group reached Stovakor and enter the courts of the vampire aristocracy of the city, mingling with some of the dark powers of the world. Song & Secrets Their second night in the Amaranthine Ball, the group follow up on a number of clues and leads they had received from their interactions with other guests. Deciding on a plan of action, the group commits to trying to infiltrate into the dungeon below the mansion, but first they must contend with a thief in the attic. Smiths & Surgeons Bypassing the hidden door in the servants quarters, the group descend into the dungeon beneath the Hesatile Palace where dark secrets await. Encountering the shades of the interned vampire lords, the group finds dwarves forging more of the amber weapons and a mad vampire doctor vivisecting human bodies. Spools & Maidens Finding that one of the victims of the Doktor was still alive, the group travels deeper into the dungeon beneath the mansion. Fighting the many blood monsters kept within, they find some strange folk forming more of the amber thread, as well as Nin's lost companion Rinoa. Decisions & Intervention With the orator of Bahamut's Champions safe with them, the group uncover hidden keys and begin to descend to the bottom level of the dungeon where dark secrets lie in wait. Doing battle with a former ally of Nin, the group find the Last Scholar's prison, the Champions of Bahamut being torn apart by the war they had sworn to fight. Lore & Direction Reaching the Library in Aureon's realm, the group seek sanctum within the halls of the House of All Knowledge. Learning much from the tomes within, the group lay out a number of the tasks before them and decide how they will proceed. Rituals & Rites Remaining in Menrek, the group awaits the word from the forces of the Dragon Queen about their coming plans of attack against Osana. Truth & Meetings Reaching the city of Osana, the group readies for a coming conflict with the forces of Tiamat as Az ascends to the rank of Sentinel, taking on many responsibilities. Meanwhile Tripp and the crew of ''Wet! use the power of the divine blood they recovered to transport the ship across the ocean to aid the Captain of the Company in the defence of the city. Shields & Schemes Meeting their former employer Gurdrak in the Skein, the group agree to a plot to adjust the balance of power in Osana. As the battle finally reaches them, the city is struck by the forces of the Dragon Queen, with the Sentinel, Osana's new protector, readying to meet the storm. Spheres & Cubes Entering into the fray of battle, the group fights a great diabolical siege engine that sought to bring down the walls of the city and allow the armies of the Dragon Queen to reach the people held within. Then, using their esoteric magicks to meet the beast in the air, the group challenge a blue dragon over the sheer cliffs. Lastly, the group confront Granmarg, the Son of Gruumsh, hoping to blunt the tip of the spear before it shatters the automaton defenders of the city. Evocation & Respite With the battle of Osana almost won, the group must defeat the last vestiges of the Dragon Queen's might that assails the city with the help of some allies. As the dust settles, the group is presented with a choice on how they wish to continue their fight, with some seeing this as the end of their journey, and others looking to the battles ahead. Time & Trees Following the battle, Nin sought aid in retrieving his friend Sharim from beyond the Silver Veil, in the world of Eschensil where the Fey rule. With Az occupied by her new position, he relies on Tripp to facilitate the rescue, with Madoc, Luchtaine, and Efyrn joining them on the excursion, but the trickery and bargains of the feyfolk leave him questioning whether he is willing to pay the price to save his friend. Browbeat & Breezes Returning to Osana with two weeks having past in the material whilst they traveled the Feywilds, the group meet Zelphyrous, an exiled monk from Farthrone. When Darion learned of the bargain that Nin had made with the Serpent of the Silver Tree he was incensed with Madoc and Nin. Beasts & Bondage Uniting in Sang after a month apart, the group set off into the Warring Woods to find the Wild Marshal, led by an expert woodsman named Kyle. However, despite Kyle's prowess in the craft of survival, the group is accosted by the Lieutenant, a soldier of the Marshal who warns them to travel no further into her commander's lands, this however plays into the group's plan as they use this encounter to arrive right into the heart of the Wild Marshal's territory to end the threat of this rogue demigod. Blades & Bedpans After a meeting with a fey court, the group returns to Sang in triumph as they are hosted by the Lord Protector of the city. But while they recover from their wounds, the Hand of Tiamat moves against them; '''save themselves or save the Lord Protector the assassin's hissed, though perhaps the group's can save them all. Woe & Void The group sets about preparing for a meeting of the Noble Alliance, an effort being assembled to challenge the might of Tiamat. As they ready themselves for the negotiation, Tripp makes Nin an offer to free him from his word with the Serpent, though whether it'll bring weal or woe is still to be discovered. Deliberations & Bargains The group is presented with Gurdrak's plan of attack, doing all they can to convince the assembly of the validity of their cause, in opposition to Monsignor Geld of the Church of Truth, who in turn seeks to sway the Noble Alliance to their divine calling. Platinum & Gold After some preparation, the group undertakes Gurdrak's plan to attack the Lighthouse, part of the anchor that is slowly drawing together Tiamat's realm with the mortal world. Together with their allies they make a head on attack on the citadel, breaking into it's defences to find the source of its power. Compromise & Enclosure Resting in the alcove atop the ramp the group moved into the chamber beyond where a great machine that housed the souls of various victims of Tiamat. Fighting the tenders of the infernal engine, some in the group find a close connection to the entrapped souls. Category:Campaigns Category:Dropping the Sword Category:Waterside Company